All 22 ‘Solo Leveling’ Manhwa Arcs Recap: Get Ready For the Anime!
Solo Leveling is a South Korean novel series written by Chugong and published online at KakaoPage, before being published by D&C Media under its Papyrus publishing imprint. The series consists of 14 volumes and 270 chapters. A webtoon adaptation, comprising 179 chapters was completed on December 29, 2021. An anime television series adaptation by A-1 Pictures was also announced, set to premiere in January 2024. While we’re waiting for the anime, in this article, we are going to discuss the manhwa’s structure. This article will be your ultimate guide to the narrative arcs of the Solo Leveling manhwa, as we will tell you everything you need to know about them.
Solo Leveling manhwa arcs in order (at a glance)
In this section, we are going to bring you an overview of the Solo Leveling manhwa arcs at a glance:
| # | Arc Name | Webtoon Chapters | Novel Chapters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D-Rank Dungeon Arc | Chapter 1-10 | Chapter 1-7 |
| 2 | Reawakening Arc | Chapter 11-12 | Chapter 8-12 |
| 3 | Instant Dungeon Arc | Chapter 13-17 | Chapter 13-16 |
| 4 | Dungeon & Lizards Arc | Chapter 18-24 | Chapter 17-24 |
| 5 | Dungeon & Prisoners Arc | Chapter 25-34 | Chapter 25-35 |
| 6 | Yoo Jinho Raid Party Arc | Chapter 35-37 | Chapter 36-45 |
| 7 | Job Change Arc | Chapter 38-45 | Chapter 46-55 |
| 8 | Red Gate Arc | Chapter 46-55 | Chapter 56-64 |
| 9 | Demon Castle Arc | Chapter 56-61 | Chapter 65-75 |
| 10 | Retesting Rank Arc | Chapter 61-64 | Chapter 75-79 |
| 11 | Hunters Guild Gate Arc | Chapter 65-75 | Chapter 80-92 |
| 12 | Return to Demon Castle Arc | Chapter 76-89 | Chapter 93-110 |
| 13 | Jeju Island Arc | Chapter 90-107 | Chapter 111-127 |
| 14 | Recruitment Arc | Chapter 108-110 | Chapter 127-135 |
| 15 | Ahjin Guild Arc | Chapter 111-122 | Chapter 136-150 |
| 16 | Double Dungeon Arc | Chapter 123-131 | Chapter 150-164 |
| 17 | Japan Crisis Arc | Chapter 132-139 | Chapter 165-182 |
| 18 | International Guild Conference Arc | Chapter 140-149 | Chapter 183-199 |
| 19 | Monarchs War Arc | Chapter 150-166 | Chapter 200-224 |
| 20 | Final Battle Arc | Chapter 167-177 | Chapter 225-243 |
| 21 | Epilogue | Chapter 178-179 | Chapter 244-270 |
| 22 | Academy Arc | Chapter 180-200 | TBA |
As you can see, the overall structure of the Solo Leveling manhwa is quite simple. The story progresses linearly most of the time (there are some flashback moments), and with 200 chapters of the original webtoon, and substantially more in the novel, it has been divided into 22 narrative arcs. This is a solid number of arcs for such a relatively small number of chapters, but in the case of Solo Leveling, it has been working out great so far.
In what order should you read Solo Leveling?
Fans of Solo Leveling will need to start with the first chapter of the manhwa, but they will then have to follow the release order of all the chapters to normally follow the evolution of the plot. It’s a lot of material, but the best way to approach it is to simply follow the release order, as it coincides with the evolution of the plot.
Solo Leveling manhwa arcs explained
1. D-Rank Dungeon Arc
E-Rank Hunter Sung Jinwoo and his friends are playing a game and are inside a D-Rank Dungeon. While exploring it, the group stumbled upon another secret dungeon and decided to explore it. But they soon realize that it is a trap that they cannot get out of.
2. Reawakening Arc
Jinwoo survives the events of the Double Dungeon, but ends up in a hospital. While there, he manages to discover the System, a special piece of software with magical traits that makes him significantly stronger with every mission completed.
3. Instant Dungeon Arc
After a series of strange events, E-Rank Hunter Sung Jinwoo receives a special key for an E-Rank Dungeon and finally decides to go on a mission himself, which is a big step for him personally, as well as a player.
4. Dungeon & Lizards Arc
Being better and more skilled, Jinwoo decided to join a team for a C-Rank quest, hoping to gain more money and experience. On the way, the friendly team they meet turns out to be something completely different than what they had expected.
5. Dungeon & Prisoners Arc
Jinwoo decides to reunite with his fellow Double Dungeon survivors, including Lee Joohee and Song Chi-Yul, for one last mission, but it turns out that a group of prisoners on probation, and their leader, Kang Taeshik, have other plans.
6. Yoo Jinho Raid Party Arc
Jinwoo and Jihno decide to form a special team so that they can legally raid higher-ranked Dungeons. It turns out, though, that they are too fast and too successful, which attracts the attention of Ahn Sangmin, a high-ranking employee under the White Tiger Guild.
7. Job Change Arc
The System suddenly informs Jinwoo of another mission, and he is soon transported into another instant dungeon. There, he faces a group of knights led by a mysterious Red Knight who is guarding an empty throne in this special and enigmatic dungeon.
8. Red Gate Arc
Jinwoo finds out that Han Song-Yi, one of his sister’s friends, has started playing and wants to show the newbie how dangerous it can be. He enters them both in a White Tiger training exercise, but things go horribly wrong then they end up sucked inside a Red Gate that was not supposed to be there.
9. Demon Castle Arc
The System created the Demon Castle, a special S-Rank Dungeon that Jinwoo enters alone. While exploring it, he manages to find the recipe for the Holy Water of Life, a potent medicine he believes could heal his terminally ill mother in the real world.
10. Retesting Rank Arc
After he succeeded in obtaining two of the three necessary ingredients for the Holy Water of Life, Jinwoo decides to go back to the real world and re-evaluate his rank, now that he has become much stronger than when he started.
11. Hunters Guild Gate Arc
Jinwoo is waiting for his S-Rank license. While he is doing that, he decides to join a group of miners under the Hunters Guild in order to enter an A-Rank Dungeon and gain additional experience for the future.
12. Return to Demon Castle Arc
In order to obtain the final ingredient for the Holy Water, Jinwoo decides to return to Demon Castle to get it. There, he encounters Esil Radiru, who offers to help him find the dungeon’s boss, Baran, in exchange for him sparing the lives of her clan.
13. Jeju Island Arc
The medicine works, and Jinwoo’s mother finally wakes up from the Eternal Slumber. He then decides to sit out on the Jeju Island Raid to spend more time with her, but when a homicidal giant ant appears, Jinwoo is forced to change his mind.
14. Recruitment Arc
While he is attending Min Byung-Gyu’s funeral, Jinwoo meets a woman named Norma Selner. She turns out to be an upgrader who works for the American government and wants to talk to Jinwoo.
15. Ahjin Guild Arc
Jinwoo creates his own guild, the Ahjin Guild, and decides to help the Knights Guild in a very special and dangerous mission. At one point, things go terribly wrong when he finds out about some trouble at his sister’s school.
16. Double Dungeon Arc
Jingwoo is confused about the origins of his powers and returns to the Double Dungeon to find out the truth. The Architect, who is behind the System, refuses to help him, though.
17. Japan Crisis Arc
An S-Rank Gate suddenly appears in Tokyo, and while the Government does send the best-ranked people to solve the problem, they are unable to do it, so Jinwoo decides to intervene and solve the issue himself.
18. International Guild Conference Arc
The famous International Guild Conference is organized, and Jinwoo is invited to represent Korea. At the same time, the Monarchs awaken and restart their clash against the Rulers by killing off Christopher Reed.
19. Monarchs War Arc
The Monarchs are on a rampage, and they continue to slay the Rulers’ vessels on Earth, killing one in Brazil and Korea, respectively. Jinwoo accidentally makes himself a target and is seemingly killed as well, but the Monarchs underestimate him, and he soon comes back to life.
20. Final Battle Arc
After having absorbed the powers of the Shadow Monarch, Jinwoo prepares for his ultimate showdown with Antares, the most powerful Monarch and the King of Dragons, as well as the series’ ultimate villain.
21. Epilogue
The battle is over, and Antares is defeated. Having achieved his goal, Jinwoo decides to go back in time and change history as it happened so that he can save all those he lost during this horrible and exhausting war.
22. Academy Arc
The war is over. Having used the Cup of Reincarnation, Jinwoo went back in time and is now living as a completely normal high school student. What he does not know is that the problems are not over and that he will have to face new challenges sooner rather than later.
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